PANDAN FESTIVAL

The 13th Pandan Festival in Luisiana, Laguna was held last April 3-7, 2010.

 The five-day long celebration of the pandan crop and its products

conincides with the Independence Day of Luisiana

(from Majayjay town) on April 3. To spice up the Pandan Festival,

 various activities are sponsored by the municipality

such as inter-barangay activities, parade contest with street dancing,

night dancing, and beauty pageant.

 The most interesting activity is the "Gayakang Bayan" where local households

in Luisiana decorate their homes with various pandan products

 such as bags, hats, mats and even windmills!

The most creative decorations and designs are awarded with cash prizes

 (consolation prize is worth PhP 2000).

The "Gayakang Bayan" is very similar to the Pahiyas Festival of Lucban,

 Quezon where the houses are decorated with "kiping"

made from rice flour (it can be eaten after grilling or frying it).

Houses decorated with pandan crafts and products

The residents are really creative because they are able to make unique

products from pandan such as wine holder (PhP 200),

 lantern case, mailbox, windmill, hen and goose, etc.

 However, we were looking for pandan mat but it was not available

at the House of Pandan. There was a mat for sale

at the OTOP Center but it was too expensive - PhP 450

 for a double-sized mat. So we did not buy it.

 The only items we bought at the OTOP Center was a native hat for PhP 50,

native fan (PhP 20) and a cowboy hat for my son PhP 150.

A festival depicting the origin and various uses of the pandan plant,

showing the town’s agricultural wealth, and products of the barangays.

The festival highlights the sweet delicacies,

 origin and their uses in the collective memory of the people of Mapandan

 including a cook fest of exotic foods.

The Pandan Festival showcased the town’s agricultural wealth,

 a celebration of its people’s industry and diligence

 as well as a commemoration of the town history.